Annual roundtable event 2023 - Bournemouth.

Leaders and CEOs from Britain’s Leading Edge gathered in Bournemouth last week for the second annual roundtable event, in the margins of the Local Government Association’s conference. They were joined by a very special guest, Dehenna Davison MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The Minister warmly welcomed the recently-published Britain‘s Leading Edge manifesto, and was interested to hear more about what tools, powers and funding members need to support levelling up in peripheral areas.

The productive and positive discussion encompassed rural fair funding; ways to encourage investment in rural areas; food security; levelling up and the challenges of rural transport. Britain’s Leading Edge’s forward programme of work was also on the agenda, with members conferring on how best to take forward engagement activities; partnership working; group expansion; research funding and delivering on our manifesto commitments.

Watch this space for resulting pieces of work – and we are already looking forward to next year’s annual roundtable event!